ECP decision not clean chit to Imran, Tareen: Marriyum

ISLAMABAD, Mar 16 (APP): Minister of State, Marriyum Aurangzeb
Thursday said the Election Commission has disposed off the
disqualification references against PTI chairman Imran Khan and his
deputy Jehangir Tareen on technical grounds and it should not be
construed as clean chit to the PTI leaders.
Addressing a news conference along with PML-N leaders Daniyal
Aziz, Talal Chaudhry and Maiza Hameed, she said Imran Khan had
challenged the jurisdiction of the Election Commission on hearing
the reference against him and his party leaders by saying that it
was not eligible to ask him about the financial matters of the past.
She lamented that the PTI chairman lectures others on honesty
and morality day and night but he did not present himself for
accountability and refused to disclose his financial resources and
dealings before the Election Commission by raising questions about
the maintainability and admissibility of the references.
“The Election Commission dismissed the reference on technical
grounds as Imran Khan refused to give answers to the questions
raised in the reference,” she noted.
She said it is an irony that Imran Khan himself claimed that
he borrowed money from his former wife Jemima Khan for buying
property in Bani Gala but was unwilling to share details in the
Election Commission.
Imran Khan should stop holding a court outside the courts just
with the purpose to spread lies and mislead the nation, she added.
She said, Prime Minister and his family made themselves
answerable in the court for 70 years of businesses.
The Prime Minister did not use his legal and constitutional
rights and did not seek waiver in the case in Supreme Court on the
basis of admissibility, maintainability and exemptions which he
enjoyed under the Constitution.
She said Imran Khan did not like the democracy in which he is
in the opposition, rather he only wanted that kind of democracy in
which he was made the Prime Minister.
She reminded that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif submitted
financial record and tax details of his father, his children and
himself before the Supreme Court while Imran Khan continued to play
politics on the issue.
Imran Khan repeatedly told lies and failed to submit any
evidence in the case of Panama Papers in the Supreme Court,she said
adding Imran Khan made it a habit to constantly tell lies and hurl
baseless allegations.
She noted that Imran Khan has not been accepting Sardar Ayaz
Sadiq as Speaker National Assembly since 2013,but it does not make
a difference as the latter had defeated him repeatedly in the
elections of 2002, 2013 and in the bye elections and was re-elected
as speaker by his party.
The minister said Imran Khan was in a state of distress and
has lost patience which was visible during his media talks.
Talking about Imran Khan’s objection about presence of Maryam
Nawaz at a women caucus meeting, Marriyum corrected Imran Khan and
stated that Speaker NA Ayaz Sadiq was the chief guest of the event
and Maryam Nawaz was the key note speaker.
“Imran Khan should not be jealous of Maryam Nawaz as she
ruled hearts of the people and introduced first ever health care
programme and educational reforms in the country under the vision of
the prime minister.”
She said Pakistan Muslim League-N taught its members how to
show respect to women.
Marriyum predicted that Nawaz Sharif and his party PML-N will
again win in the general elections in 2018 on the basis of their
performance.
Speaking on the occasion, Daniyal Aziz, MNA said that Imran
Khan through his press conference tried to befool the masses by
claiming that he and Jehangir Tareen have been given clean chit but
that was contrary to the fact.
He said that Imran Khan has always told lies to the nation and
introduced the unhealthy culture of insulting political opponents.
“Imran Khan and Jehangir Tareen have taken refuge behind
maintainability of the case in the Election Commission and the case
was disposed of on technical grounds,” he added.
Imran claims that others live in palaces but he himself has
been living in a 300-kanal mansion in Bani Gala,Daniyal Aziz added.
He said that today Imran claimed that he brought money from
abroad to Pakistan but in his statement in the Supreme Court, he
stated that he did not bring any money to Pakistan which exposed his
earlier claim.
Imran owned flats worth hundreds of millions of rupees which
were not declared in his assets statements. Imran himself has
confessed that he owned off-shore company and evaded taxes for
several years for which he should be held accountable.
He said that Imran took the plea that the case was related to
transactions and purchases before the elections and the Election
Commission had no powers to question him about his financial matters
before 2013 elections.
On the contrary,the Prime Minister and his family have given
documentary proofs of their properties and paid taxes for past 70
years.
Daniyal said that the case is not finished as the PML-N has
the legal right to challenge the verdict at relevant forums.
He said the case of PTI foreign funding was filed before the
Panama papers leaks and PML-N did not bring the matter to Election
Commission.
Daniyal Aziz said that Imran’s legal counsel intentionally
delayed the case proceedings to buy time for Imran Khan.
Daniyal Aziz said that Jehangir Tareen was a notorious corrupt
person who admitted his wrong doings in a letter to the Securities
and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and not only returned the Rs 70 million minted through insider trading but also the fine.
The legal counsel of PTI confessed in the court that their
case was neither about corruption, money laundering nor about tax
evasion but contradictions in the statements of the Prime Minister.
He said that by taking refuge behind maintainability, Imran
and his party have backtracked from their 18 year old stance.
He said that Imran and Jehangir Tareen were the only two
politicians who have admitted their corruption and money laundering
in writing.
Talal Chaudhry said that title of today’s press conference
should be contradiction in statements and misdeeds of Imran Khan,
adding when time for giving proofs of his innocence came, Imran took
refuge in technical issues.
Imran used to say that he will never hide behind technical
grounds but in the very first case he had to challenge the
maintainability of the case. Imran did not file replies to any of
the questions raised by the PML-N in Election Commission case, he
said.
About two weeks ago,Imran had termed Election Commission a
part of the PML-N team but today he and his cronies were very happy
and giving wrong impression of winning the case.
The Election Commission has not given Imran and Jehangir
Tareen clean chit but disposed of the case on basis of
maintainability. He said that Imran Khan could not provide required
documents about Bani Gala palace.
He said Jehangir Tareen should tell the nation how he
purchased personal planes and became a billionaire from a lecturer.
He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif provided documentary
proofs and evidences about his family business for past 70 years but
Imran failed to provide proofs of only past seven years.
Maiza Hameed, MNA said that Imran Khan was suffering from
Maryam Nawaz phobia and considered her a threat to his political
future.
Imran should understand that elections are not won on the
basis of allegations but with performance.
Replying to questions of the media persons, Talal Chaudhry
said that the PML-N does not believe in lock downs and use of
abusive language, and it will continue its struggle within the legal
framework.
He said that Imran has been threatening national institutions
but Nawaz Sharif has always worked for strengthening them.
To another question, he said that PML-N leader Javed Latif has
tendered apology over his remarks on the floor of the National
Assembly as the party believed in respect of the women.
He said that the people have high expectations from the PML-N
as it was a party of respectable persons.